Anyone involved in the roofing business will tell you what a strenuous business it is. A typical day involves carrying heavy loads, enduring high temperatures and scorching sun and climbing steep roofs, all the while working at dangerous elevations above ground. Anything that reduces work or allows for a better job is welcome. Those roofing jobs which require the removal of the old roof, or a “tear-off” as it is commonly called, requires a much higher level of physical work. The old shingles must be dislodged, ripped up, and then pushed off of the roof. The physical activity required to transport these materials from the roof to the dumpster or refuse vehicle is staggering. Additionally, as these materials fall from the roof to the ground, damage to landscaping or even the house itself can occur. Finally, additional aids such as tarps or wheel barrows are required to pickup the material from the ground.
Several attempts have been made in the past to provide an apparatus for assisting in the transportation of roofing waste materials. U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,677 in the name of Beiler discloses a self-propelled trailer comprising a box-like bin with a tailgate with provisions to raise the bin to the height of the eaves of roofs via hydraulic pistons. The Beiler device requires transportation via motor vehicles to the job site and the hydraulic pistons require maintenance. The present invention, contrastingly, may be transported manually to and from a job site and a dumpster and simply telescopes up and down.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,340 issued in the name of Zalal provides an apparatus for an automatic debris removal system comprising a tilting dumpster riding on a carriage device of a pre-existing construction hoist, a detachable chute device, and an automatic dumping mechanism for the dumpster. The Zalal invention requires the use of a pre-existing construction hoist which may not be present on a particular jobsite.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,804 issued in the name of Mayle describes a an apparatus for lifting and carrying heavy loads comprising a steerable trolley-like device with a winch for moving a load onto an optional pan and a pair of lifting arms to move said load between the ground and roof. The Mayle device lacks the inherent benefit of removing the load through a false bottom, a feature in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,524 issued in the name of Groat discloses a snow removal system for roofs and vehicles consisting of differing embodiments centered around a bermed tarp acting as a chute. Groat discloses a device that utilizes material not suited for removal of roofing debris and does not provide means to transport collected refuse to a sanitation dumpster.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,126 issued in the name of Hamlin describes a machine for loading and removing a flat roof comprising a flat conveyor belt on a pair of drive wheels and a chisel-like front member. A drive mechanism operates the conveyor belt to unload the old roofing material upward and outward, which needs to be scored so that it breaks as it ascends the conveyor and drops into a cart. The Hamlin invention utilizes a driven conveyor system to transport material and does not benefit from a simple and manually operated hopper dump system. The Hamlin invention is also highly specialized for removing flat roofing material prior to reparations or replacement.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,027 issued in the name of Patterson describes an apparatus and method for accurately measuring and dispensing dry material into a portable container. The Patterson apparatus is concerned with the accurate measuring of material and is therefore not within the scope of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,358 issued in the name of Van Mill discloses a portable cart with an angular discharge auger, particularly for handling granular material. The auger tube is fixed to the hopper sump for drawing material from said sump and can be pivoted away during transport. The present invention handles material of a larger and bulkier nature than that of the device in the Van Mill patent and therefore does not benefit from the use of an auger. Additionally, the Van Mill device has no provisions for vertically manipulating the hopper structure to a job site.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,625 issued in the name of Christensen et al. discloses a portable ice cart with both elevation and tilt adjustment for an ice hopper. The Christensen et al. device utilizes a scissor-like linkage operated by a foot pedal actuating hydraulic cylinder for raising the ice hopper. The present invention utilizes a simple telescopic means for raising and lowering the hopper portion as opposed to the hydraulic system in the Christensen et al. apparatus.
None of the prior art particularly describes an apparatus that allows roofers to easily remove discarded roofing materials in a timely fashion without damage to landscaping and without excessive physical labor. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which the transportation of discarded roofing materials from the roof to the refuse container can be accomplished in an easier manner than current methods allow.